Memories
by RosieShiba
Summary: Standing in her grandmother's kitchen, she wondered how everything had led to such a wonderful life. One-shot for Ikarishipping Day!


**So this is a one-shot that I decided to write for Ikarishipping Day. It's a little weird but I liked it since this is the closest I've ever written about my real life so excuse some parts of it. **

**Also, Happy Ikarishipping Day!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.**

It was weird stood in the empty house for Dannie, aged twenty. This wasn't her house and that's why it seemed so strange being there. No one was home. Granted her father and uncle were working on the garden out front but it wasn't the same. Her grandparents weren't home. They hadn't been home in a while which was odd because they were always here.

Gran would be sat in her chair knitting something while Granddad would be sat opposite her, writing something. They would be happy sitting like this. Day in day out they would do this until one of the family popped round and then Gran would put on the kettle and get out the biscuits while Granddad would chat to the visitors.

But there was none of that today. Dannie let out a sigh before she walked into the large living room and looked around. There were pictures everywhere, photo frames taking up every space on every surface. Dannie stared round at them. Some were old and fading while others were new and brightly coloured. Dannie walked over to the nearest one and picked it up. Funny, there was no dust on it. She looked at the photo. It was of Gran and Granddad holding their first child, Dannie's father, in the street where they used to live. Dannie smiled at it fondly. Both looked so happy. So young.

She placed the photo frame back down before she walked towards the stairs. She climbed up to check on the rooms on the first floor. How sad it was that no one had walked up these stairs in such a long time. She went into the first bedroom and went to sit on her grandparent's double bed. She looked around once again, remembering the time when she and all her cousins had piled onto this bed to watch a movie on the small TV on the chest of drawers. She remembered how they had all fought for their favourite movie until Gran had come upstairs and set them right. In no time at all they were watching some sort of adventure film which none of them had heard of but thoroughly enjoyed.

Dannie found herself in the present again as she climbed off the bed and walked over the bookshelf. She looked up and down the many books, a few of them being Granddad's own first editions. She smiled at the fading text on the hardback fabric. She always loved her Granddad's stories. He would tell them to her whenever she stayed over night. Even a few years ago when she stopped she had begged him for a story. He had given in and told her one before shooing her off to bed as if she was five or something.

She paused as she found a book with no name. Curious, she pulled the book out of its place and looked at it. It was completely blank. The old leather was wearing away. It was quite a big book too, bigger than all the rest.

"It must be an atlas," Dannie mumbled before she opened the book. She looked at the first page.

_All my life in one book._

Dannie walked towards the bed and sat down again. She turned over to the next page to find there were photos of her childhood Gran and her great-grandmother. The two looked so happy together and even though the pictures had faded, Dannie could see the midnight blue of her Gran's hair. Dannie smiled as she looked over the photographs. There was Gran swimming in a paddling pool, another with Great-Grandmother's cat, then one of Gran in her first school uniform looking slightly anxious about something.

Dannie turned the page.

_I had a good childhood living with my mother in a small house in a village called Twinleaf. When I was five I went to school and all I could do was cry and cry for my mother. I was such a big baby. Of course I decided to do other things rather than to cry. _

Dannie looked at some more pictures of her Gran throughout her school days. She was with friends mostly until there was one of her in a totally different place.

_When I was twelve we moved to the big city where I was put into a huge school that I didn't really like. I didn't make many friends because they thought I was a country girl. I hated being taunted by them and I would often hide out in the bathroom so I was out of their way. _

_After a few weeks I was approached by someone. He was tall and slightly weird looking. All I knew was that he was our next door neighbour but I didn't know his name. He passed me something._

"_You left this at your house this morning," he told me in a cold and steady tone. I looked at the object he gave me. It was my pencil case! I was so stupid to leave it behind. I muttered a quick thanks to the guy and hurried on my way._

Dannie laughed before she turned the page. Now she recognised her Granddad in the photographs outside a house with another family. Dannie instantly saw her Granddad and her Gran ignoring each other. Throughout the next set of photographs, she saw as the two were forced to be together when they clearly didn't like each other.

_His name turned out to be Paul and I didn't like him one bit. But our mothers decided it was good for us to become friends. At first we tried everything to get out of being together but then I made some new friends at school and I had an excuse to stay away from Paul. I was so happy._

"Gran, you're horrible," Dannie laughed before she turned the page. Now Gran was with some other people. There were girls and boys. In the background she could see her Granddad stood looking bored.

_When I was fifteen, all my friends had boyfriends or girlfriends so I was often left out a lot. Luckily I still had Paul to turn to when I was completely bored. We would laugh and get along and before I knew it I was in love with him. But he soon started dating this other girl and I was left heartbroken. _

"Oh no," Dannie said, "That's way too bad."

_I tried like mad to get a boyfriend for myself but no one even looked my way. I felt as though there was something wrong with me. Then one day, Paul knocked round on the door and asked if I wanted to hang about with him. I was bored and lonely so I said yes. _

_He showed me something he had been working on for a while. It was a book he'd been writing. I was amazed at how well he wrote even though he'd never had any experience in it before. Before long he had sent it off to some big publisher in the city and it would be printed in a proper book form._

Dannie looked at a picture of her Granddad with his book in his hands. He looked proud and youthful as he posed for what looked like a newspaper page. There was an article attached to it as well. She turned the page to see more pictures of her Gran and Granddad. They looked so happy together. The next page revealed a wedding photo of the two. Gran looked amazing in a pure white dress while Granddad looked cool in his suit and tie. Dannie couldn't help but giggle at the sight.

_We were married when we were eighteen. A lot of people thought we were crazy but we weren't. We were so in love with each other. We were married in the Veilstone Church and had our pictures took in the park. It was such a happy day._

Dannie turned over the page yet again and was laughing as soon as she gazed over what she saw next. Pictures of her father as a baby.

_Mark Shinji – Born 16__th__ July_

Over the next page was her auntie June who was born in May. Dannie shook her head as she read the name. Apparently it was a joke her Granddad had with a friend. They would always refer to their wives as either Troublesome or June. Gran's name was Troublesome. Their friend May was June. Probably May had begged her Gran to name her kid June to stop her husband, Drew, from calling it her. Surprisingly enough it didn't work. May got the new name of April instead.

Over the next page was auntie Eve, then uncle Tyler and uncle Benji. Wow there were a lot of children there. Dannie giggled as she looked over pictures of the family as they grew up with little side comments and stories from her Gran. The time when Mark got his hand stuck in the pickle jar. The time Eve and June went on parade. When Tyler was kicked out a school for going in the girls' changing rooms. They'd fitted him with glasses not long afterwards, apparently. Then how Benji had won a running tournament.

Dannie couldn't help but smile at it all. Every bit of this book was full of love and memories. Dannie couldn't help but marvel at it.

Finally she came across her page.

_Danielle Shinji – Born 14__th__ April_

Dannie looked over her baby pictures. There were pictures of her mom and her and then others with her Grandad. Oddly enough there wasn't one with Gran and her. Feeling a little annoyed over this, Dannie skipped through the remaining pages. There were parties and weddings, a funeral too of a very dear friend. More births of grand kids were registered too. Dannie closed the book finally and wiped a few tears from her eyes.

One book full of one life. All her Gran's life was in that one book. Granddad's would have been a collection of books but his wife only had one book.

Just as she was a bout to put the book away, Dannie noticed something odd. There was a letter hanging out of the book at the back. Dannie opened the book once more and turned to the back. There were a bunch of letters in the back of the book. One of them had slid out of the folder they were in. Dannie took the letter and read it.

_My Dear Troublesome,_

_It's a little dull in London. Drew's going on about watching cricket while Ash keeps trying to get us to go to something they call a 'buffet', neither of which I'm interested in. If I'm blunt, I just want to come home now. After being in Europe for a few weeks I just want to get back to our nice little house and see you and the kids but no, apparently we need to check out the style of London. Enjoy the sites, as Drew calls it._

_Tell June, Mark and Eve I've got them all presents from Europe because they'll be very glad to hear about that. I won't tell you what I've got them because I want it to be a surprise._

_I'm hoping to break from London very soon, even if I have to leave Drew and Ash behind. I can't wait to see you all again. It's been boring without anyone to make trouble for me._

_All my love,_

_Paul_

Dannie looked up to see her father stood in the doorway. He looked confused for a few seconds before he saw the book in her lap.

"Oh, you found that?" he asked. Dannie nodded.

"It's really sad," Dannie replied, "It's hard to think that these people are my grandparents."

"Come on," her dad told her, "Let's get moving. It's visiting hours at the hospital now."

"OK," Dannie said.

"You know what I like about hospitals," Dannie heard one of the patients saying as they walked onto her Granddad's ward, "It's always so tidy."

Dannie smiled as she looked around the ward but her Granddad wasn't there. His bed was empty. Dannie froze. Where was he? What had happened? All his stuff had gone too. Where was it all?

"Oh are you looking for Paul?" one of the nurses asked as she walked into the ward. Dannie nodded slowly. "Sorry but we moved him into a different ward."

"Why?" Dannie asked, a weird sort of hysteria settling into her system, "What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing dear," the nurse said softly, "We just moved him to a mixed sex ward upstairs so he could be with your Grandmother."

"Oh," Dannie said, "Right. Ermm… Which ward?"

"Bevan One," the nurse replied, "Up the stairs and to the right."

"Thanks," Dannie said before she was on her way up to the new ward. She walked briskly up the stairs and down the corridor. She didn't relax until she heard her Granddad's voice.

"Stop that, you troublesome woman," he snapped, most likely at her Gran, "I can do it myself."

Dannie giggled as she stepped into the ward. She followed the sound of her Granddad's grumbling until she found them both. Currently all the occupants of the ward were laughing at her Grandparents because of something they were doing. Finally she saw her Granddad give up. He passed something to his wife and let out a sigh.

"What are you two up to?" Dannie asked as she stepped forwards.

"Oh, Dannie," her Granddad said, "I wasn't expecting you here."

"Hi, Dannie, dear," her Gran greeted. Dannie pulled up a chair and sat down between their beds.

"You moved," she told her Granddad, "You almost gave me a heart attack."

Her Granddad just looked at her blankly before he said: "It's not like I could have warned you."

"I guess," Dannie said. She looked at her Gran who was combing her long silver hair as if she hadn't a care in the world. Gran was still in bed with various things going in and out of her, not that she seemed to mind. Granddad was currently only hooked into one drip. He was sat in a chair, reading a book.

"So have you been busy?" Gran asked her.

"Not really. I went to see if your house needed anything doing to it," Dannie replied, "But everything seems good. Dad and Uncle Ray were doing the garden for you."

"That's nice of them," Gran said happily, "Where is your father?"

"At the café," Dannie said, "He was hungry so decided to grab some food before he came along."

"That's Mark," Granddad said before he closed his book before he eyed Dannie carefully, "What are you doing anyway, cleaning our house. You should be doing something fun like… Going out with friends."

"They're all busy this weekend, Gramps," Dannie said as she smiled at her Granddad. He nodded. They lapsed into silence for a while until Gran put her brush down. The woman, though slightly wrinkled in the face, was very beautiful. Her silver hair was long and glossy. Her sapphire eyes sparkled with happiness like they always did. She was slightly thinner than Dannie remembered but then again hospital food was less than tasty.

Granddad was silver haired as well with short hair rather than his long locks he once used to have. His black eyes were deep and warm, watching every detail around him. He was wearing loose clothes while he was sat in the high backed armchair.

"So anything exciting happened outside?" Gran asked.

"Nothing really," Dannie replied, "Just the same old."

"Nothing good at work?" Granddad asked.

"I'm still looking for a job, Gramps," Dannie replied, "It's pretty boring out there."

"You know what," Granddad said, "You're awful for conversation."

"Thanks, Gramps," Dannie said, "Like you're fantastic."

Gran decided to take this opportunity to launch her hair brush as Granddad's head. It hit him in the shoulder, startling him slightly.

"Hey," he told her, "Don't scare me. You might give me a heart attack."

"Sorry," Gran replied.

"You two are totally different," Dannie said suddenly, "How come you two got married."

"Honey," Gran said, "I can give you a hundred reasons why I married him but what would you care for them? Half of them I don't even understand at all."

"Right," Granddad agreed, "But we got married and have been… happy ever since. Never peaceful or trouble free, but happy."

"Oh shut up," Gran snapped. Granddad merely smiled at her.

"So when will you two be out?" Dannie asked, moving the conversation on. Instead of getting an answer which she thought would be simple, she got one the total opposite.

"After June was born," Granddad said, "I remember your Gran was in a terrible state. She was weak and tired."

"I'd just had a baby," Gran snapped, "How would you feel?"

"And so they kept her in to make sure she would be OK," Granddad continued, ignoring his wife, "And everyday for weeks I would ask them when she would be let out, but all I ever got from the nurse was: She'll be out when she's ready."

"And you'll be out when you're ready?" Dannie asked, trying to get the message from the story. Granddad shook his head.

"We'll be let out when they think we're ready," was his reply. Dannie frowned at him.

"OK," she said slowly. She heard her Gran laugh at her.

"Don't listen to him," Gran told Dannie, "We'll be out of here before you know it and probably when you least expect it too."

"Why today of all days?" Dannie heard her mom ask while they hurried to clean the house, "Why not tomorrow when all of this would have been done and dusted?"

"You can't predict good health," came the voice of her Granddad as he stepped through the front door. Mom made a squeak before she rushed to tidy up. Granddad watched her with a good humoured smile on his face. He walked through the house until he reached Dannie. Dannie smiled at him.

"You know, Gran was right," Dannie said, "You were let out when we least expected it."

"I know," Granddad replied, "But don't tell her that, she'll be hell to live with if she knew she was right."

"I heard that!" Gran snapped from the door as dad helped her into the house. She didn't need the help but dad was offering it to her regardless of what she wanted. She walked through to stand by her husband. He put his arm round her.

"We're home, Troublesome," he told her.

"Yes, dear," she replied, "At last."

There was a slight pause as mom came back into the room. The five adults stood in the room for a few seconds saying nothing, just looking round at the room.

"Shall I put the kettle on?" Gran asked before she walked through to the kitchen. Mom walked after her so she could help with stuff.

Dannie turned to her Granddad and beamed at him.

"Tell me a story Granddad," she asked, "Like you used to when I was a little girl."

"A story? Well, it goes something like this, Dannie," Granddad said as he sat down on a chair. Dannie smiled as she sat down on the floor. It was good to go back to how they were before, just how she remembered…

**Well, I hope that didn't suck too much. Please read and review!**

**RSx**


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